Here
by future mrs.wayland
Summary: A combination of a scene from "Fool Me Once" and my own ideas of what should have happened between Damon and Elena and what should happen in the upcoming episodes. Please review! Now finished!
1. Chapter 1

"Damon, I'm so sorry."

Before I knew what I was doing the words were out of my mouth and my body was no longer pulled close to Stefan's unusually uncomfortable embrace. Without giving myself time to think about what I was doing I had walked up to the still figure, standing heartbroken and alone in the flickering torch lights. My arms had wrapped themselves around his still body. For a long moment I didn't think that he would welcome the comfort I was offering, or maybe my touch would push his emotions too far and he would hurt me. But for some reason I wasn't afraid of the latter thought. All that I could think now was that I have to help him. Somehow, I have to make his hurting stop, even if I got hurt in the process.

Then, when I was just about to give up, when I had almost begun to believe that maybe he was so heartbroken, his ability to love so far gone, that he could not accept any comfort, not even from me, his strong arms lifted around me and pulled me close. He turned his eyes to meet mine and I saw the wall that he had put up to protect himself. His eyes were black. They had always been dark, but the usual glint, that little sparkle that could melt the coldest of hearts, was gone. He had hidden what made him Damon in order to keep his emotions from showing. He was to proud to show how much he was hurting, but I could see that he could not keep it up much longer. The pain of finding out the truth about Katherine was so overwhelming that soon that wall would come crumbling down and he would loose all control.

"I'm right here," I whispered.

And at that moment, he let the wall crash down. He held me tightly, as if I were the only thing left in this world that was of any importance to him and if he let me go, if he lost me too, he wouldn't be able to go on. I rested my head on his chest and felt the intake of every unnecessary breath. He didn't have to continue breathing, but it was as if he was trying to keep himself under control. I continued to hold him, silently offering him my strength. After what seemed like an eternity, though it had to have been only a few seconds, he relaxed and rested his cheek on top of my head, still clinging on to me. I don't know how long we stayed this way. It could have been only seconds, but a year could have just as easily passed without our knowing. I wasn't thinking about anything other than him. His scent. The way it felt to lay my head against his worn leather jacket. How standing there in his arms somehow, felt… right. I was supposed to be comforting him, helping him deal with the pain of what Katherine had done to him. But my thoughts had turned from that to thinking about how the torch lights, which had seemed so foreboding and terrifying merely moments before, now seemed beautiful and romantic. And how I never wanted this moment to end. I never wanted to step out of this embrace.

But eventually I felt him take a deep breath, steadying himself. He held me tighter for a quick second, and then the warmth from his body was gone, but he laid one hand on my shoulder as he gently leaned closer and pressed a kiss to my forehead. In that moment, I realized that I never wanted anything more than this. This man standing in front of me. I looked up at him, his eyes were filled with pain still, but now there was something more. I wasn't sure what I was seeing in his eyes. It was not the usual spark, but at least there was some form of emotion showing through now. Even if I didn't know what exactly he was feeling, I hoped that that it was the realization that I was here for him, that I cared about him in a way that neither of us had realized until tonight. That I might love him.

"_I might love Damon," that thought was going over and over in my head as I pulled my gaze from his and turned around. _

_And saw Stefan staring at the two of us._


	2. Chapter 2

**I was laying on my bed later that night trying not to think. I knew there was no way I could sleep. There were to many thoughts going through my head. Almost everyone of those thoughts involved Damon. I knew I should be thinking of Stefan. Of the disgusted look on his face when Damon and I turned to him. The hurt in his eyes should have made me run to him and deny everything that he had witnessed, everything that I had felt for Damon, but it didn't. I could not be sorry for that. Ever. I didn't want to hurt Stefan, he had done nothing wrong. But now, I don't know how I could ever be with him, or anyone else, without thinking about Damon. Without comparing them to Damon. The way his arms had felt wrapped around me, hard muscles encased in that black leather jacket. The way his dark eyes had met mine, with the shadows from his eyelashes falling on his cheeks. How just being with him felt so perfect. Even if I didn't want to hurt Stefan I knew I had to. I couldn't deny this-what I had with Damon. Because there had been something there. It may have only lasted for a few seconds, but it was something that I had never felt before, not with Stefan, or Matt, or any other guy that I have ever met. **

**But now I have to find a way to tell Stefan this. Because I do have to tell him. He will find out soon enough, if he doesn't already know, and I would rather I be the one to tell him than Damon. But I don't have to tell him yet. I don't even know exactly what I was feeling for Damon. I had to be completely sure before I told Stefan anything. I did not want to break Stefan's heart, then see Damon and there not be anything between us. Then where would I be? I had to make sure that my feelings for him were real. But first I had to figure out exactly what they were! I think I actually love him, but then again I thought I loved Stefan. This is a different feeling than anything I felt with Stefan. It was…**

**It was a spark. I always rolled my eyes when I would hear people say that in movies "there was just this spark that let me know he was the one, blah blah blah." but now I understand. I didn't think that could actually happen, let alone with DAMON of all people, but it was there. And I never wanted it to go away. **

**Soon after that thought I must have drifted off to sleep. **

_**I was a princess straight from a fairytale, sleeping in my castle. My bed had sheer silver curtains surrounding it. The moonlight was shining through the domed stained glass window on the opposite wall, turning the gauze fabric into a lacy cloud that surrounded me in my slumber**_**. **

_**Somewhere in the distance I heard the sound of a horse neighing, but I did not wake. Then a few moments later, there was a small sound at my window. I awoke, but not hearing anything anymore, returned to sleep. It came again. I sat up, listening. There was another. A pecking sound, something bouncing off the glass. I smiled. It could be only one thing. And I WAS in a fairytale. It had to be my handsome, prince, dressed in shining armor, riding his white steed up to my castle gates, and throwing pebbles at my window. I got out of bed, still smiling, and went to look out the window, where the shining prince would be standing, waiting. **_

_**I unlatched the lock and looked down. It was dark, but the moonlight seemed to be focused on the figures standing below me. It was not at all the scene I had expected. There was a horse, but it was solid black. Almost blending in with the night, looking wild and untamed. And the man beside him was not the blonde haired, dashing prince in silver I had imagined. He was wearing black. A black leather jacket over his black shirt and jeans. Messy black hair half hid the black eyes that looked upwards to the castle, searching for me. When he spotted me he smiled. His lips pulled back to reveal the fangs. I was not afraid. I knew I probably should be, but he wouldn't hurt me. This was the man I loved. The man that I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. He was better than any shining prince any day. **_

**Something woke me from my dream. I eagerly attempted to go back to the castle with the man, who looked a lot like Damon, but the noise came again. I sat up angry, trying to figure out what it was. I heard it again and quickly turned my head towards the direction it came from. I gasped when I saw that it came from my window. I had to be imagining things. Maybe I was still dreaming because this could not really be happening. I got up, knowing that what I was thinking was not even a remote possibility, but hoping anyway, and walked to the window.**

**There was no spotlight of a moon, shining on a wild horse, just a streetlight reflecting off the black Ferrari parked at the curb. But the man there was the same. He spotted me, and threw down the handful of pebbles that he had not yet thrown. I opened the window, still in denial, but yet hoping. When his eyes met mine I realized the difference between the man in my dream and Damon. Where the dream guy's eyes showed nothing but love for me, Damon's were heartbroken. I could feel the silent plea, he needed help. He wanted comfort and love. He needed someone to not judge him, to hold him and let him cry for the woman who had broken his heart. He needed me. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**** Hey guys, I was going crazy because of the six week break that vampire diaries is now on so I decided to finally write this story. Thank you soo much for all the positive reviews!!! Keep them up, they make me update faster lol. If you have any thoughts or suggestions please let me know!**

**I knew that Damon needed me, but I was resistant to let him come in. I knew that he would never harm Jenna, Jeremy, or especially myself, that wasn't the reason for my hesitation. I knew that the second that he stepped foot in my room and looked into my eyes, that spark would be back. And everything would change. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that. But I didn't have a choice. **

**While I sorted out my emotions, still standing at the open window, he did not move. He stood there, waiting for me to accept him. But the exact second that I decided that I wanted him, and not just for tonight, he noticed the realization that was obvious on my face and before I could even blink he was sitting perched on my window sill.**

**I stared into the midnight black of his eyes, eyes that seemed to go on forever, and knew that we were supposed to be together. I don't think he realized it yet. He was still in too much pain over Katherine to feel anything like what I was feeling for him. But just because he had not came to the realization that I had yet, he somehow knew that there was something between us. Otherwise he would not have came here. **

**But he did. He came to me.**

"**Can I come in? Please?"**

**His voice broke on the last word. He didn't have to ask. He knew that if I didn't want him here he still would be able to come and go as he pleased, without my being able to stop him. But he didn't. He wasn't asking permission to come into my room. He was asking if I was willing to help him. He wasn't going to force me to deal with his problems. He was offering me an out right now. **

**I reach out my hand to take his and gently pulled him out of the window. And with that move, I promised him my heart. My everything. Even if he didn't know it yet. **

**With his hand still in mine, I turned and pulled him towards the bed. When he saw where I was going he stopped.**

"**No." his voice was pitiful. It was obvious that he had been crying, even if I couldn't picture it.**

"**Don't be stupid. It's late Damon. I'm tired, and I know you have to be exhausted. No one is going to know anything. And even someone found out it doesn't matter. Nothing is going to happen." I could see the resolve fading in his eyes. "You need me. Tonight, Damon. Let me help."**

**Silently he let me lead him to the bed. I laid down and he sat beside me, staring into nothingness. **

**I looked down at our hands, fingers still intertwined. He was still staring off into space, but somehow, as if subconsciously, he felt me looking at our hands. The pressure from his hand against mine increased for a second. **

"**Damon, trust me." I whispered.**

"**I do." the pain in his voice was almost unbearable. I had to make it go away.**

"**Then prove it."**

**His head turned so his eyes would meet mine, and without another word, he kicked his shoes off and in one fluid movement, had pulled back the covers and was laying beside me. Not moving. Not touching other than his fingers wrapped around mine. He obviously wasn't breathing, and I don't think I was either. **

**We laid there for hours, until finally he pulled his hand away from mine, but replaced it by pulling me close to his side and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I automatically rested my head on his chest, and his entire body went rigid. He was scared to let himself open up to anyone again. Not after what she did to him. But I promised that I would help him. **

"**I'm still here, Damon," I whispered in his ear. "And I'm not going away." **


	4. Chapter 4

I was so tired. I don't know why we didn't sleep. After that had occurred this evening you would think I would go back to sleep but I just laid there, my head on Damon's chest, for hours more. Until the darkness outside began to lighten. Damon seemed somewhat better that he had been when he first showed up at my window. He was obviously still heart broken, but it was almost as if being near me helped heal his pain. Numbed it for a few moments. And if being near me was a way to make him less miserable for a little while, I was happy to offer my services. I knew that he was not thinking of me that way. There was no way he could. Every one of his thought were centered around her. He had to be over her before he knew how I felt. And I would not rush or pressure him to decide when that would be. I loved him enough to wait a lifetime for him to realize that he felt the same way.

I felt him turn his head to look at me, I met his gaze with my own, but neither of us spoke. I wasn't sure what to say, "_Are you ok?" _was too stupid of a question. I knew the answer. No, of course he wasn't ok. So I stared into his bottomless eyes for what seemed like a lifetime, not knowing how , or when I should break the silence. But before I could ponder that too much, my aunt decided to do us the favor by knocking on the door.

"Elena! Are you up? I'm leaving for work!" she yelled, still pounding on the door.

Without exchanging any words, Damon and I exchanged another quick glance at each other before he dashed into my bathroom to hide.

"Yeah, Aunt Jenna. I'm awake!" I said through the door, I knew Damon was safely hidden next door but I didn't want to risk our secret by opening it.

"Well hurry up! I don't want you to be late for school!" she said before her shoes clicked back down stairs.

_She doesn't have to worry, _I thought, _I wont be late because I'm not going!_ I was definitely not the type of person who would skip school, but I didn't want to leave Damon alone for eight whole hours. Who knows what he would do? And its not like I could concentrate on my classes anyway, I would just sit through all of them anxiously worrying about Damon.

Lost in thought, I didn't hear Damon walk up behind me. "Your brother has already left too. Its just us."

I jumped as I heard his voice, not expecting it. I turned around and he was facing away from me, staring at the window. "I have to leave." he said.

I was not expecting the pain that I felt as he said those words. I was supposed to help him, and I clearly could not do that when he wasn't here! "No, you don't. You can stay here as long as you need to." I whispered. I tried to prevent how much I needed him here from showing up in my voice, but I think he could tell anyway.

"Thank you. For everything, really Elena. Honestly I don't think I would have survived last night without you. But this isn't right. Stefan would stake me without a moments consideration if he found out I was here, with you, in your bed, last night. Your family would too. And you know as well as I do that even if we told them the truth, that nothing happened, they wouldn't believe us. I'm not going to drag you into my problems, Elena." When his speech was finished, he climbed up onto the window sill, but I stopped him before he could drop down to his car.

"Damon. Please?" there must have been something in my voice, because he turned around, and upon seeing my face, stepped down from the window sill and was standing in front of me before I could blink. And without warning, something took over me, and before either of us knew what was happening my lips were pressed against his.

He resisted for a second, but instinct took over, and his lips parted to deepen the kiss. I didn't think of all the reasons that this was wrong. A few hours ago I had strictly decided that he would NOT know how I felt about him until he was past grieving for Katherine. And I was technically still with Stefan, but there was nothing that I could do about that now. The thought of Damon leaving had triggered something deep inside me, a desire for him that I didn't know had existed until that moment.

Without breaking our kiss, I let him lead me towards my bed, I fell backwards and pulled him with me, all the while keeping my lips on his. This was… indescribable. I had never felt such a connection, such heat with anyone else before. And about that time I stopped thinking and started concentrating on Damon, whose lips were now slowly kissing down my neck and then back up. Before he could meet his lips to mine once more, I pulled his shirt up over his head. I wasn't sure where the jacket had gone to. It seemed to have disappeared in the heat of the moment.

I was so caught up in the moment, in Damon, that I didn't notice what he was saying when he began whispering in my ear. I was too busy to focus on the words he was saying. But eventually I noticed that he seemed to be repeating one thing over and over. And soon my curiosity got the best of me and I began to concentrate on what he was saying. I wish I hadn't. I wish I had just let myself stay wrapped up in this perfect moment of happiness for the rest of eternity. But I had heard. Who knew that one word could shatter your heart? But it can, because while he was with me, he hadn't been thinking of me. His mind was in another place, in another century, in another bed, with another girl.

"Katherine." he was still repeating her name, over and over.

_Katherine. He thought I was Katherine._

**So?! What do you think?!?!? Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, soo sorry I have not updated for a while. But here is chapter 4!!!!!! **

**And there are only 23 days until Damon comes back to our TV's and we can stop going through Damon Withdrawal!!!!!!!! YAY!**

_Katherine. Katherine. _The word was a constant echo vibrating through my mind. _He thinks I am Katherine. That is the only reason he is here right now, he thinks I am HER. _

Damon, after a few more seconds, realized that I had stopped kissing him back. "Katherine, wha…" his voice trailed off as he looked down into my eyes, MY eyes. Elena Gilbert, not Katherine's, and realized what he had done, where he had messed up. "I… Elena. I thought…"

And with that, he had rolled off of me and was picking his jacket up out of the floor. If I would have blinked I would have missed him jumping out of my window. For a panicked second, I was worried that he would get hurt. Most people who would attempt to jump out of my second story window would have landed to their death, most humans anyway. And even though I knew that he was fine, that the sound of the Ferrari's wheels burning rubber away from my curb should have been a reassurance, it wasn't. He was a vampire. I had to continue to remind myself of that. It was hard to believe at this moment, that he was anything different than myself. I think that was what triggered my sudden need for him, the fact that at that moment, he was so undeniably human; a human who had survived so much pain and heartbreak and loss in only a few short moments. And it seemed only fair that a person who had been through so much suffering should have a little bit of happiness. And I thought I could give him that, I thought I could make him happy.

But I was wrong. I could not make him happy. The only person who could help him now was Katherine. But she didn't care. If she cared she would have came back to him a hundred years ago! So where did that leave Damon? Where did that leave me? I honestly think it would be impossible to move on from him now. What had happened this morning, it was still so fresh in my mind, and it had made me realize just how much I wanted-no- how much I NEEDED Damon Salvator. It seemed that he could never be happy without Katherine, but I could never be happy without him. Not with Stefan, or Matt, or any other man that I might happen to meet in the future. I didn't even want to think about anyone else right now. Especially Stefan, because before, when I came to the realization of what I had to do, I was only hypothetically breaking his heart. I had done nothing wrong, yet. But now I had. I had cheated on Stefan, with his brother non the less! And Stefan didn't deserve that. He had done nothing wrong, he just wasn't Damon… I just hoped that Stefan could at least be happy for me, for us. I knew he loved me, and he surely loved me enough to let me go, to let me be happy, even if it was with Damon, right?

I knew I should not be thinking about Stefan now, but I was, and even though I was sitting curled up in a ball missing Damon but yet thinking of Stefan, the sound of Stefan's car outside was still a shock. _I'm just imagining it, _I told myself, but I got up to look. And sure enough, there was Stefan's car in my driveway. I knew I should be panicking about what I was going to say, but instead I stood at my window and stared at the black marks that had been left by Damon's car. They were the only physical evidence that last night and this morning had not all been a dream. So when Stefan walked into my room, he found me skipping school, crying, wearing rumpled pajamas, and staring out the window in a trance. If that didn't let him know that something was wrong, the automatic flinch that radiated from my body as soon as his hand made contact with my shoulder did.

"Damon has been here…" he said it as if he couldn't believe it. Maybe he didn't understand what had happened yet, maybe he knew he was just still in denial, but either way he would know everything soon. He looked at me, trying to make eye contact, but I avoided his gaze. Instead his eyes locked on my vervain necklace and he let out a sigh of relief. I knew what he was thinking,_ if I still had my necklace Damon couldn't have compelled me, therefore, he couldn't hurt me. I was safe. But if he had not compelled me, then she had let him in here willingly… _"Elena, what did you do?"

His expression turned from worry to disbelief. His eyes turned from me and looked frantically around the room, searching for some perfectly reasonable explanation as to why she had let his brother be here, with her, last night. He walked around the room, he had stayed all night. They had slept in the same bed… _maybe its not what you think, _he told himself fiercly. _He WAS hurt, and Elena had been able to help him at the toumb last night. Maybe he had just needed help again, yes that was it. She had just been helping him. Nothing had happened, But why was she so upset? _He saw it then, the piece of black fabric that looked so out of place against Elena's white sheets. He picked it up. _But if she was just helping him why is his shirt still in her bed?! He was furious now, furious and hurt. _He turned to face her, all his emotions written out on his face.

"Why?" It was a simple word. Only three letters. And it was a reasonable question to ask at the moment, but that one word shot daggers through Elena's heart. _It wasn't supposed to be like this! He wasn't supposed to find out this way!!! _But it was too late. He knew. She hated the thought that she had done this to him, and she was sorry that it had to be like this, but she wasn't sorry that he knew. She couldn't be. Despite what had happened with Damon this morning, even if he didn't love her for HER, she still loved him. And Elena knew that they had to be together, eventually. And now that Stefan knew, it was just one less thing holding her back from her true love. But Stefan didn't deserve this. He needed at least an explanation… "Stefan, It wasn't…We didn't…" but she was to late, he didn't care about reasons. Reasons weren't important now. She had made her choice.

Before she could say anything else, he was gone. Outside even before her bedroom door closed behind him. And she was alone. Really alone this time. Stefan was heartbroken because of her, and now she was heartbroken over Damon. _It isn't Damon's fault though,_ she reminded herself. He can't help the way he feels about her, he just needs time. She could understand that. She would give him all the time he needed. But she wasn't sure how long she could go without him now. Ever since she had tasted him, she wanted more, she needed more. But she loved him enough to suffer through what she was feeling until he was ready. And one day he would be, just not today.

And with that she walked over to her bed, and picked up the shirt, HIS shirt, off the floor. She got into the bed and laid down on the side that he had occupied a few hours before. And clinging the only piece that she had of the man she loved tightly to her chest, she fell asleep.

**Sorry to anybody on Team Stefan, I had to do it. =) **

**Please review and let me know what you think! And now that you all know what I WISH would happen when Vampire Diaries comes back, what do you think will ACTUALLY happen? **


	6. Chapter 6

**17 days left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can not wait until Damon is finally back! But until then I hope you can enjoy my version. Reviews are totally appreciated!**

When Elena woke up, her head was pounding. For a second she didn't remember that anything was wrong. She forgot about Damon, Katherine, and Stefan. At first it was just a normal morning, but then it all came back. Katherine had broken Damon's heart. Elena had somehow fell in love with Damon, so she had kissed him. Damon had thought she was Katherine. Damon left. Stefan had came, and when he found out the truth, he had left her too. She looked down at her sheets, trying to distract herself from the aching emptiness that filled her chest. But as she looked down she saw her fingers still wrapped around the black material of Damon's tee-shirt. _Damon. _

She had promised herself that she would wait. She knew that she needed to give him time. Her head knew that eventually she would be his. That he would realize one day that he loved her, and they would be together. But until then… She knew that he would need his space to get over Katherine. And her kissing him defiantly had not helped him do that. But her heart; her heart was telling her something else. Her heart was saying that she needed him. Right now. Now and forever. That need was like a physical ache. A desire so painful that it would not ease until she was back into his arms.

_I am NOT going to just lie here and pine for him_ she told herself fiercely. She made herself get out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, hoping that a long hot shower would help clear her thoughts. She gathered up her clothes, and it wasn't until she set her clean set of clothes down on the bathroom counter that she realized that she was still holding onto his shirt.

She lost all control then. She hated herself, because she knew that despite everything, she was making his pain worse. But she didn't know what else she could do. She felt that she had to be near him. And she honestly didn't know if she would survive without him for one more second…

"Stop it!" she screamed at herself. She knew that on top of everything now she was beginning to talk to herself, and that probably wasn't a good sign of her sanity, but she would never allow herself to be one of those girls. The needy ones who always got dumped for being so clingy. The ones who couldn't go on with life without their boyfriends by their sides.

She forced herself to get up. She neatly folded his tee-shirt and laid it by hers. After a long shower, she did feel some better; more in control. She was better, but she wasn't healed. Her heart still ached for his presence. _I have to see him. Just to see him. That's all I need. _But even as she thought the words, she knew it wasn't true. Seeing him would help, but it wouldn't make everything better. The only thing that could do that would be the moment when he realized his love for her extended past his feelings for Katherine. But she would take anything she could get right now.

_I just need an excuse. A reason to see him. If I just go to check on him, to see if he is ok, it will embarrass him. And he already has a broken heart, his pride doesn't need hurt on top of it…_ Her eyes drifted around the bathroom that she shared with Jeremy. And her eyes rested on his shirt, again. His shirt… She could just drop it off at his place… Check on him, be close to him for a few moments again, just enough to get her through the rest of the evening. Then she would be ok. Hopefully by the next time she began to need him to this extent, he would have had some time to heal. And slowly the thoughts of Katherine that were swarming his mind would slowly be replaced with thoughts of her. Of them.

**What did you think? Reviews make me very very very happy!!!!!!**


	7. Chapter 7

She got dressed quickly, eager to get to Damon. She knew how reckless he could be on a good day; and now… well the most level-headed person 's mind would be in a dangerous amount of overload right now. And despite what had just happed between the two of them, she still knew in her heart that she was going to be the one person to save him. No one else could stop him from doing something stupid, something that he would regret later. Because despite all of his denials, there was a part of him who was very aware of the feelings of guilt that would haunt him after doing something horrible. And if that wasn't enough of a reason to get to him, he didn't kneed the sheriff and her little squad of vampire hunters getting even more suspicious right now, ring or no ring. He was a vampire, and she was just a human teenager, and yet she had taken it upon herself to reverse roles. She was going to save him for once, instead of the other way around.

She picked up Damon's shirt and walked from her bathroom and carried it back into her bedroom, searching for her phone. Usually the first thing she would do in the morning would be to check her phone, but with everything that had happened, it had never even crossed her mind. She clicked on her inbox; two new messages from Bonnie. **Where r u? **and then a few minutes later, **guess that was a stupid question with wat hapnd lst nite. R u ok? another stupid q. txt me if u need me. K? luv u! **She managed to smile at that. She would text her later. But not now, at the moment she was going to have to deal with the fourteen new messages from Stefan. She looked at the times they were sent before she proceeded with actually opening the messages. They were all from before he came over. _Before I broke his heart_ she thought. She began with the most recent message, **Elena! I'm coming over. I don't know what is wrong, but this is not like you! See you soon.** The next few before that were all basically the same, him freaking out because she wasn't there and she wouldn't answer his texts, blah blah blah. _Has he always been this annoying!?_ At first the texts were just obnoxious. Then she read the one that said, **Elena, please answer me! Are you ok?! I just want an answer. I need to make sure Damon didn't hurt you. I have not heard from him since last night and I need to know you are ok.** She was getting ready to become furious at Stefan, but then she realized that he was right. Damon HAD hurt her. He defiantly hadn't meant to, and it wasn't even his fault, it was hers. But she was hurt. Not physically, which was what Stefan had meant, but she was hurt. But Damon was hurt too. A lot worse than she was. And that was the entire point of what she was getting ready to do. She hurriedly flipped through Stefan's other texts, only pausing to really read the first one he had sent her this morning, **Good morning, Love. Just wanted to let you know that even if you were in your own bed last night, in my dreams you were here with me the whole time. I love you. **

Normally a text like that would have melted her heart. But not today. She had already ended everything with Stefan, now it was time to make everything right with his brother, the one she really wanted to be with. The one she loved.

**Hey guys! Sorry this is a little late, but it is up now! =) And I know this and the previous episodes have not had any Damon, but don't worry, I will make up for it in the next chapter! And with that I will leave you with this thought… 8 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =[**


	8. Chapter 8

She walked straight downstairs, not even pausing to grab a jacket. She was more determined than ever to take care of Damon, in whatever way he needed her. She went outside without even bothering to lock the door behind her. Her mind was focusing on one thing only, and that was Damon.

She got in her car and placed Damon's shirt carefully on the passengers seat beside her. She started the ignition and pulled out of the drive, eager to get to him. She drove past the two black lines left by the tires of his Ferrari and began driving down the familiar streets that would lead her to his house.

As she drove, she began to think about how quickly her world had changed. As of yesterday afternoon, she would never have referred to her destination as "Damon's house." It hadn't been Damon's, it was Stefan's. Damon just happened to live there as well. But now she realized how blinded she had been. Stefan had never been what she wanted; what she needed. There was only one person who could give her what she desired now, and that man was Damon.

The roads had changed as the minutes had passed, leading her away from the suburban area of Mystic Falls and into a more rural section of the town. Soon the pavement gave away to a gravel road. She had driven this road so many times, but always to get to Stefan. But now that she was coming here for an entirely different reason, how would she deal with him. Stefan was sure to be here, right? He DID live here after all. How was she going to face him, after what she had done? She considered pulling over and contemplating this situation for a while before continuing, but her need for Damon was to strong. That pull that her heart was feeling for him was almost physically controlling her now, keeping her foot on the gas pedal, her hands steady on the steering wheel as it led her tires onward down the dirt road.

The house came into view, reaching upward past the line of trees that obscured her view of the bottom two levels, but as she rounded the last bend, she came upon the house head on and was taken, as always, by the beauty of it. She pulled into the drive and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Damon's black Ferrari parked in front of the house, it's sleek, modern black finish looking strangely out of place against the backdrop of the house's grandeur. As she parked behind it, a small, reasonable voice in the back of her mind told her that the fact that his car was there, didn't ensure that HE was. For all she knew, he had taken advantage of his vampire abilities and had ran off somewhere, trying to get away from everything. That seemed like something Damon would do. But there was a force in her heart that was overruling that voice in her head. It was the same force that had taken over her body and had gotten her there. And that force was promising her that if she would just follow it's lead, he WOULD be there. So without resisting she opened her car door.

Her feet landed on the gravel of the drive way and began carrying her toward the front door. As she walked she tried to be as quiet as possible, though she wasn't sure why. Without a doubt anyone in the house would know she was here, especially a vampire, so there was no point in attempting to sneak up on them. She didn't even know why she would want to sneak up on them, but she had the feeling that she needed to, so she walked carefully non-the-less.

She made her way up the stone steps and to the door. Her hand landed on the antique brass door knocker, but instead just reached for the door knob, which had been left unlocked. At first she thought that it would be quite unsafe to leave the house and it's contents so vulnerable, but then she remembered that a simple door knob could not keep the only thing that could ever cause Damon or Stefan any harm out. A vampire would not be hindered by a simple piece of metal, locked or unlocked. But the spell that guarded the door of every place where living things dwelled would do the trick. No vampire could get in unless one of the Salvatore brothers wanted them inside. _I wonder what would happen if this worked on humans too? Would they want me here now? After everything I've done? More importantly does HE want me here now? _

"Well, I'm not giving him a choice," she whispered as she walked past that invisible barrier. That barrier that had been broken in so many homes; homes where unsuspecting young women were compelled into letting the man she loved into their own homes, not knowing the secret danger that he held. And then that barrier would remain broken long after he left them, barely alive, bleeding out on their own beds. Once he got what he wanted, he would leave. And both that barrier and the heart of that young girl, would remain broken for long after he disappeared into the darkness.

But Elena Gilbert was different, she was NOT going to let him break her heart, she was going to make him love it.

**A/N: Soooo? What did you think?! Please review, if you don't really have any comments, just leave me a note to let me know that you are still reading (and hopefully loving) this story. =) **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters (except for the Damon that lives in my dreams.) **

With a new resolve, Elena pulled open the heavy wooden door that lead into the Salvatore's house. The air was cool, if she didn't know any better she would think no one inhabited the ancient mansion. _Which, if you think about it no one technically LIVES here_ she thought, which made her smile despite everything. She stepped into the large house, listening for any sounds of either of the Salvatore brothers. From what she could hear the house was completely empty. Stefan's car had not been outside, so chances were that he had not came back here after leaving her house. She still had a feeling that Damon WAS here, though, so she quietly walked across the hardwood floors and began working her way up the staircase.

For such an old house, it was in pristine condition. The wood of the stairs didn't even creak as she continued climbing. She paused as she reached the top landing. She had never really had a chance to explore this part of the house. She knew where Stefan's bedroom and the bathroom were, but that was it on this particular floor. Downstairs she was almost as familiar with the floor plan and furniture layout as she was in her own home. She could easily find her way around in the dark if she wanted a glass of water in the middle of the night. But as for up here, she had never needed to know what was behind the heavy wooden doors that lined the hallway. One of them must have been Zach's room. And Stefan had said that there was an empty bedroom somewhere up here. So with those two, Stefan's, and the bathroom, she knew what was in only four rooms of the six that were on this level of the house. One of those had to be Damon's so that left only one room that she had no idea what would be inside. She knew what would be in each of the other rooms, it was just a matter of finding out which rooms were where.

She didn't want to snoop around the house without permission, but she needed to find Damon. She walked past Stefan's door, not yet ready to face the memories that were made inside that room. The bathroom was right across the hall-Elena tentatively knocked then twisted the knob. It was open. Open and empty. The bathroom still had the original black and white tile on the floor and matching free-standing sink and claw-foot bathtub. The room looked almost as uninhabited as the rest of the house, only a few towels lay stacked neatly in the pantry and in the medicine cabinet there were toothbrushes and a few bottles of cologne. The bathroom had everything you would expect to find in that of a house owned by two young men, only minus the mess. It could have been a model home in a real estate magazine. She shut the door quietly and walked to the one next to it.

She touched the cold door knob, only to find that it wouldn't turn. It was locked. There was no light coming out from the bottom of the door and she couldn't hear anything on the other side. Most likely it was either a storage room or possibly Zach's. She decided to continue on down the hall. The next door she opened was what she knew had to be the spare bed room. A twin size bed with a plain beige comforter. A deep mahogany wardrobe, the top coated in dust, and a matching little desk under the window. No personal belongings were anywhere to be found. She noticed that everything seemed to have dust on it now that she looked a little closer, even the floorboards were coated in a thin layer. She was glad she hadn't stepped into the room then, her shoes would have been sure to leave telltale prints that she had been snooping.

Stefan's, the bathroom, Zach's, and the spare room, that meant that one of the other two doors in the hall would be Damon's. She carefully shut the door on the spare room and turned to check the room at the very end of the hall. She found a small staircase, leading up into what she only could assume from all the dust motes and the musty smell, was an attic. She wasn't going to investigate. That left only one room left, she walked toward it, of course it was the room farthest away from Stefan's, she smiled. Why had she not thought of that earlier? He WAS Damon after all.

Still clutching his shirt, that she had almost forgotten about, in her hand, she took a deep breath she turned the door knob, and was surprisingly met with…sunlight?

`Damon's room had a huge window that faced the back of the house, which explained why she had never noticed it before. Unlike Stefan's dull, dark, and cluttered room, his was surprisingly bright. But still Damon. He had completely altered the antique style of the rest of the house in here. The hardwoods were covered with a plush white shag carpet and all the furniture was sleek black leather: headboard, small sofa, the cushion on the window seat. And they were all accented with splashes of blood red. Everything was so modern and new. From the laptop left on the sofa to the flat screen plasma TV mounted on the wall. The bed was immaculately made, not a single wrinkle on the blood red duvet. _Of course, he slept in MY bed last night so why would his be messed up? _She had been so caught up in taking in the room that she had almost forgotten the actual reason she was here. Almost.

The room was obviously empty of its owner, but she knew he had to be here… that was when she noticed the sound of running water. She turned toward the sound and saw a black door in the wall that I had not noticed before. It was open a crack, just enough for me to see that it was a small bathroom, She could just make out enough through all the steam coming from the shower to see that it too was done in the modern black, white, and red color scheme. _Well, I found him! Now what?_

**Please review! Lets see if we can get it up to 120 reviews!!! If so there may be a special treat in the next chapter! A treat in the form of a wet Damon. =)**


	10. Chapter 10

Before she could begin to come up with an excuse as to why she was there, the bathroom door opened and a wall of hot steam came out, almost completely obscuring Damon as he stepped from the room. The fog receded to reveal more of Damon. He was wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped loosely around his hips; water was dripping from his tousled hair down onto his face and chest. He seemed surprised to see me there, on his bed. In his room. He met my eyes, and we stared at each other for what seemed like hours, neither of us wanting to break the gaze. He finally spoke first,

"Why are you here, Elena?" He whispered. His voice was off, it cracked as he spoke; as hard as it was for her to believe it sounded as if Damon Salvatore, the hardest, cockiest, strongest man in the world had been crying. His eyes remained cast downward, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I. Um, you forgot your shirt…" He completely ignored her.

She stared at him, willing him to look up; to look at her. After what seemed like an eternity, he gave in and lifted his ice blue eyes up to meet her brown ones-her eyes that were so much like his lost lovers that in a sudden moment of passion he had mistaken Elena for Katherine.

His eyes were empty; broken and helpless. He had attempted to rebuild that wall that had hidden his emotions for so many years, but it was as if he had not been able to find the strength inside his shattered heart to finish building it. Instead he had shut down so that he could stop the pain, but in turn he had blocked any other emotions from interfering with his already broken heart. She was NOT going to stand there and watch the man she loved shut himself down. She had to do something to help him. _Of course that's what you thought you were doing when you kissed him and look how that turned out…_

"Damon, what are you doing?" She didn't know why, of all things she could have said, she asked him that. It wasn't what she had expected to ask, but then again it wasn't like this little trip to his bedroom was planned. It was a good thing that she asked him this though, because something about this question got to him and he answered, which was honestly more than she was expected from him when he was like this.

"What does it look like I'm doing Elena?" He asked, gesturing at himself, still dripping wet wearing nothing but that towel; as he walked across the room, past where she was still seated on his bed, and opened up the door on the bed side table that housed an impressive collection of alcohol and poured himself a glass of amber liquid. He downed it in one neat flick of the wrist.

"I came home, took a shower, and now I am going to get completely drunk. Isn't that what all humans do when they are suffering from a broken heart?" He downed another glass of his drink and began pouring yet another.

Something was wrong. Even more so than she had realized. Damon Salvatore had just admitted that he had feelings and emotions; AND he had referred to himself in the same league as humans.

"Why?" Another stupid question but she wasn't exactly thinking straight.

"WHAT is with the pointless questions, Elena?!" He screamed as he threw his crystal glass, still filled with alcohol against the wall.

Probably anybody else would have been terrified, and she probably should have been. After all, she was alone with a crazy, heart broken, drunk, semi-psychotic vampire. But he was HER crazy, heart broken, drunken, semi-psychotic vampire, and she loved him so she just sat there and held his gaze until he calmed down and was able to see through the fury burning in his eyes.

"You wanna know why, Elena? Honestly?" You wont like it. But if you really want to know I'll tell you." He hadn't expected her to agree, so when she nodded he sighed, defeated, and sat down on the bed across from her.

"First off, I'm pretty sure you are here, not to return a shirt, but because I called you Katherine. Am I right?" Just saying her name caused a flash of pain to cross his eyes.

She silently nodded that he was right, and he continued.

"I did NOT mistake you for her. I know that you think I did, and you have every right to believe that, but I promise you, Elena; I knew it was you."

"Then why?" She couldn't understand what he was saying, normally she would have said that he had been lying to her or had her under compulsion, but her necklace was still clasped firmly around her neck and he was practically begging her to believe him, and if it wasn't the truth she didn't see why he would be going through this much trouble to convince her otherwise.

He sighed, and began again, "When you kissed me, I felt something. Something that I had only ever felt once before in my life. With Katherine. I felt human, Elena. HUMAN! And that both thrilled and terrified me. I have spent the last century and a half waiting for her to come back to me so I could get that feeling back again, and then I found out that she was gone-that it was all a lie. But then a few hours later… I had that feeling again. That feeling that I thought was Katherine, but it turns out that feeling wasn't from her, it was from being in love. And when I realized that, I didn't know what to do! I wasn't sure what you wanted, despite the fact that YOU were the one who kissed ME," he stopped to drop her a wink, "I just knew that I didn't want that feeling to end. And since I had always associated that feeling with being human, it seemed the reasonable thing to do would be to just act human for a while. Then I was going to come find you and tell you… Elena, your not talking."

"You said "love"." she whispered.

" I know! Its scary right! I'll bet you didn't even think that was possible did you," He smiled. It wasn't his usual, self-centered sexy smile. His heart was still to broken to smile like that yet, but it was almost as if being near her was beginning to mend that cold, un-beating heart of his.

"You can go now, Elena. I think I'm gonna be ok. You have helped me more than you will ever know, so you can run back to your little suburban life with Stefan now. I'm going to get dressed and go hunt so…"

She just sat there, staring at the man, who had just told her he loved her.

"Elena, what aren't you telling me?" He asked as he realized that something was wrong.

She took a deep breath and whispered, "I came here to find you, but not because of what you said. I realized something, when we were… you know," She blushed at the thought.

"Kissing. You can say the word Elena." He smirked. He was getting back to normal, she noticed. As if getting the truth off his chest had helped him heal.

"I realized that I was wrong. About a lot of things really, but mostly I realized that I picked the wrong brother…"

"What do you mean, Elena?" He asked, his voice careful, he was afraid he was going to get hurt again.

"I love you, Damon."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is this storyline and the Damon that occupies my dreams every now and again… ok, so maybe its more like every night, but honestly can you blame me! ;)**

"You don't know what your saying, Elena. Your upset and you don't understand what you are saying." He whispered. His voice still controlled, careful not to let his emotions affect his words.

"No! Damon, if I know perfectly well what I am saying so please just stop for a second and let me finish." I said.

"Stop. Please just stop. Don't say anything."

I had to get these words out now, I knew that I loved him and if what he said was true and he felt the same then I didn't understand why he was stopping me. After all, this was what he had been trying to accomplish since he returned to Mystic Falls; to make me fall out of love with Stefan and end up with him. He had succeeded. Typically he would be ecstatic. He lived for the thrill of the catch; the thrill of winning. So why was that pained look back in his piercing blue eyes?

"Elena. Please, listen to me," he begged. I sat there looking at him, the man I loved, and prepared for him to break my heart. Again.

"Let me guess," I interrupted again. "You were just in it for the game right? Just to see if you could yet again make Stefan's life miserable? And now that you realized that you won, that you have me, you don't want me." I refused to let my eyes fill up with the tears that were threatening to explode so I covered it with anger, verbally lashing out at him with all my strength.

"What? No! Not at all! What makes you think that? Elena please calm down and listen to me! I love you." He looked me in the eye as he said the last three words, but I didn't understand. Why wouldn't he let me talk? I needed to tell him again, I needed him to understand!

"I. Love. You." He defined each word as he said it. "I love you Elena Gilbert, and I need you to trust me and listen to me before you say anything more than you already have ok?" I felt myself nod yes. Trust him, those were the words that made me shut up and listen. Trusting him was always something that I had been good at, even when it could have ended badly.

"You already said it. You don't have to say anymore. I knew before you even spoke the words. I know that you love me. Looking back now I knew the second that you put your arms around me at the tomb but I was stupid and too grief stricken to see it then. You said you loved me when you let me in your room. You said you loved me when you were willing to take care of me, heart broken and depressed, when nobody else would have. You said you loved me when you kissed me. And knowing the kind of person you are, what you had with Stefan is over now am I right?"

I nodded again, to in shock to do anything else.

He smiled, "See, you said you loved me when you did that too. Driving over here, finding me, saving me from what would have been one hell of a hangover, you said you loved me by doing all of that. I know, Elena. I love you too." He ended with a small smile. A smile just for me.

"But I don't want to rush this, what we have. I'm not saying that my relationship with Katherine wasn't screwed up, because it was, I know that now; but we messed everything up right from the beginning. We rushed into it, we didn't wait for anything or anyone. We had no boundaries or hurdles. And I love you more than I even thought about loving her and I'm not going to risk it by hurrying. I want this to be special, as special as you, Elena."

His speech had caused the tears that had been threatening to leak down my cheeks now trailing steadily down my face, but I couldn't muster care enough to try to stop them. A small part of me could hardly believe that Damon Salvatore could have said such a thing, and to me of all people, but I quickly shut up that little doubtful voice and smiled through my tears. He loved me, and I loved him.

Explaining us to people would be hard, Jenna and Jeremy, Bonnie, Matt, Caroline. And working things out with Stefan would be near impossible, both between us and between him and his brother. I knew no one would really understand, but looking into the eyes of the man I loved I realized that none of that mattered now. Because Damon Salvatore: the man of my dreams, the love of my life, and the right Salvatore brother for me, reached over and took my hand in his and smiled at me again before he brought his lips to mine. _I love you._ He was right. We didn't need to say it aloud, that kiss said it all.

The End.

**AN: There you go! The final chapter! There is a chance I may do a sequel, I have a few ideas, but no promises for one. I have a few other stories out that need finished first lol.**

**Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter and the story in general. I know it got a little fluffy at the end but the rest of the story was really angsty so I tried to balance it out. **

**Oh, has everyone seen the first trailer for season 2? If not Youtube it right after you review! It looks AMAZING! What are some of your thoughts on the trailer? Thoughts for season 2? I would love to hear some of your ideas! September 9th**** can't come fast enough! **


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